At noon, Naoki invited this young man to stay for lunch at the ranch.
A pink checkered picnic blanket was spread out on the grass, with various kinds of food laid on top.
There were sandwiches, milk, steamed eggs, smoked sausages, and other cooked foods.
The two sat surrounded by a group of Pokemon, and Naoki began to ask Muping about other cities and Orange Academy.
Muping told him everything he knew.
"Orange Academy is a very old school, you know, it's famous worldwide, and it's said to have been established 800 years ago."
"The school is very lively! Because there's no age limit for enrollment, the students range from kids to the elderly, and even Trainers from other regions come here to study."
"Besides taking classes with Pokemon, you can also learn about the history of the Paldea Region and all kinds of ancient legends, which attract many people to come seeking them out!"
"Oh?" Upon hearing this, Naoki became interested. "What kind of legends?"
Muping was somewhat surprised, "Mr. Naoki, are you interested in these legends?"
Naoki said dreamily, "Pursuing legends is a man's romance!"
Muping: "…Actually, I don't know much! All I know are the legends of the treasures of the Paldea Giant Pit and the Treasures of Ruin."
"It's said that during the Paldea Empire 2000 years ago, the emperor heard that there were mysterious treasures at the bottom of the Paldea Giant Pit, and in order to find them, he frequently sent people there."
"However, due to the overly complex terrain inside and many bizarre rumors, no one was ever able to reach the depths."
"Nonetheless, many adventurers came for it by fame, and this enthusiasm lasted for close to 1000 years, a period later called the [Great Exploration Era]."
The treasures deep within the Paldea Giant Pit…
In fact, Naoki wasn't clear about this either, as there were too many mysteries hidden there, but it was certain that they were closely tied to the mysterious Pokemon Terapagos.
Naoki nodded and asked again, "What about the Treasures of Ruin?"
Muping: "This legend also happened during the Paldea Empire."
"At that time, a merchant brought four treasures from a distant land—the cauldron, sword, scroll, and jade—and sold them to the king."
"The king was very pleased and held a banquet to invite the ministers to the palace for a drink, but on that very night, the four treasures suddenly turned into Pokemon and wreaked havoc, destroying the entire royal city."
"It's said that because the true forms of those four treasures were Pokemon, and they absorbed much desire and curses throughout their long journeys, when they were handed to the king, his desires woke them up."
"In the end, the king summoned a Pokemon Tamer to subdue the four Pokemon, sealing them in four temples with eight stakes each, and it's said only those with an unsullied mind can break the seal, allowing the four Ruinous Pokemon to reappear in the world."
Naoki nodded thoughtfully.
Indeed, the history here wasn't much different from what he had learned.
The cauldron, sword, scroll, jade corresponded to four Pokemon, namely Ting-Lu, Chien-Pao, Wo-Chien, and Chi-Yu.
Their status in the Paldea Region should be equivalent to the secondary gods in other regions.
But unlike Zapdos, Articuno, and Moltres, these four are Pokemon that can bring calamity.
Especially Wo-Chien, which can absorb the energy of vegetation, causing everything around to wither instantly.
If it came to the ranch, the ranch would likely have to close down.
"What a pity."
Naoki felt quite regretful. He had initially thought of seeing if Koraidon could kidnap some Legendary Pokemon back!
Especially Chien-Pao, which looks like a snow leopard.
It's Ice Type, covered in thick fur, which must feel soft and warm to the touch.
If it's summer, and Chien-Pao uses Ice Type Energy, it could turn into a Chien-Pao brand portable air conditioner.
However, now it seemed that wouldn't be possible.
After finishing his tale, Muping looked at the Dragonite in the distance and couldn't help but ask, "Mr. Naoki, were you a very skilled Trainer before?"
"What?" Naoki was slightly taken aback, then came to his senses and shook his head, "No, I'm just a Rancher."
But Muping's face was full of disbelief.
How could it be? How could he have so many Pokemon if he wasn't a Trainer?
Leaving aside Alcremie, Pawmi, Butterfree, and Combee, just Dragonite and that Pokemon called Koraidon aren't something an ordinary person could handle.
If a Trainer's strength isn't great, how could they make them obey?
To this, Naoki could only maintain a polite smile.
At that moment, a sudden commotion came from the distant grasslands.
Since Naoki's back was turned, he didn't notice it at first.
But upon seeing that scene, Muping immediately widened his eyes, showing a shocked and incredulous expression.
Noticing his change, Naoki was a bit puzzled, "What's wrong?"
Muping pointed dumbfoundedly behind, "What's happening over there?"
Naoki turned his head to see three Skiddos dancing on the Grassy Terrain.
Naoki: "..."
Muping exclaimed, "They're glowing!"
Naoki: "..."
For a moment, he didn't know what to say.
The Skiddos had clearly released their energy today, so why…
After pondering for a moment, Naoki stood up to check the sheep pen.
When he saw the empty feed trough, he immediately thought, "As expected."
The Grassy Seeds stored there had been eaten again.
So, the energy expended in the morning had been replenished.
These three gluttons!
Naoki ground his molars, planning to control the amount of Grassy Seeds the Skiddos ate from now on.
But before he could take action, a powerful surge of Grass Type Energy suddenly erupted from the three Skiddos.
"Baa?"
With the Skiddos' puzzled gaze, their bodies began to emit a dazzling light.
The energy built up over several months exploded completely at this moment.
"Buzz!"
With a buzzing sound, the grass-type energy spread at an invisible speed to the surroundings, rippling layers of energy waves in the air, enveloping the entire ranch in the blink of an eye.
Within the light, the Skiddos' bodies rapidly transformed.
Their size grew, horns on their heads became longer, the grass on their backs more lush, and their once docile eyes turned more resolute.
Naoki's eyes were fixed on the evolving Skiddos.
Muping looked up at the anomaly above, at the green light floating in the air, and then at the three Skiddos shrouded in light, his expression appearing somewhat dazed.
"???
What is this power?
Are these really the Skiddos he remembered?
Why do they seem a bit different?
At this moment, Muping felt as if his worldview was being shaken.